Restoration of Blount County's covered bridges begins (with gallery)

CLEVELAND -- It's unnerving to be able to look down through the exposed timber framing of the Swann Covered Bridge in Blount County and see the rushing waters of the Locust Fork River about 30 feet below.

But it's also fascinating to John Friedberg of Bob Smith Construction, the company leading a project to rehabilitate Blount County's three landmark covered bridges.

With the decking removed and the beams exposed, it leads you to wonder how people working in 1933 without modern machinery and materials were able to assemble a 364-foot-long wooden structure spanning a river.

"It's amazing to see how it was built," he said.

This bridge, which is just north of Cleveland and off Alabama 79, is the first being rehabbed as part of the project to restore Blount County's bridges, which has the backing of two federal grants and local matching money.

Next will be Easley Bridge. Built in 1927, the bridge is off U.S. 231, just south of Rosa. It is the shortest of the bridges but will likely require the most rehabilitation work. The final challenge will be the Horton Mill Bridge. Built in 1935 near Oneonta, that bridge is a dizzying 70 feet above the water.

Bob Smith Construction builds bridges, having just completed the new bridge over Birmingham's Lake Purdy. But these projects are going to be a learning experience.

"We like a challenge," Friedberg said, adding that the company founder is a Blount County native.

"Besides, this a beautiful place," he said. A great stone bluff rises in the distance, the river runs clear through the narrow valley it has carved. And, as Friedburg pointed out, there are not many covered bridges left.

After inspections raised safety concerns in 2009, Blount County's bridges were closed to vehicular traffic. Friedberg said the decking has been removed to allow for a closer examination of all the support structures. A third party inspector will come in and examine the entire structure to help determine what needs to be replaced and what needs to be reinforced.

With the decking up, what is truly remarkable is that there is virtually no rot or decay on unpainted wood that has spanned the river for almost 80 years. Friedberg said that the heart pine wood they used came from trees that had grown slowly for hundreds of years. To get wood that is comparable, the company will have to special order it and have it treated.

"You can't just go to Lowe's and get this type of wood," he said.

ProgressThe job also will involve putting new tin roofs on the bridges. The roofs are a key factor in the long life of a wooden bridge, keeping moisture from soaking through the wood structure. When completed, the bridges will reopen to vehicle traffic, though they will have weight limits of 3 tons.

Friedberg pointed out that the bridges probably have been bearing more than they ever were supposed to bear in recent years as the size and weight of cars increased.

Blount County engineer Richard Spraggins said he is glad work has begun. The bridges are one of the symbols of Blount County, and residents have been impatient to see them restored. In some cases, the bridge closures have posed significant inconveniences for people living in communities they serve.

"The people are beginning to see that we are working at it," he said. "Hopefully, we will have a lot more progress made."

The contract for the project came in at $469,110. The repair money will come from the federal National Historical Covered Bridge Preservation program and from transportation enhancement funds.

Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said the agency was pleased to participate.

"Covered bridges are beautiful and historic and an asset to the state," Harris said, "This project will add to the life of those bridges and preserve them as a piece of history for posterity, and it is important that we do that when we can."